The present invention relates to a performance recording and playback apparatus which records and plays back performance information.
According to a recent technology which is developed in the field of the audio/video recording and playback system, performance data which are produced responsive to a musical performance are recorded in a recording medium, while video data representing scenes which are suitable for the musical performance to be played are also recorded in a recording medium, so that both of the performance data and video data are played back in a synchronized manner. According to this technology, when playing back the performance data in synchronism with the video data, the video data which is recorded by a video apparatus is reproduced and displayed on a display device, while the performance data is played back in response to a synchronizing signal which is produced from an output signal of the video apparatus, for example.
In the above-mentioned synchronized playback operation, a synchronizer produces the synchronizing signal on the basis of the output signal of the video apparatus, and then, the synchronizing signal is supplied to a sequencer. Then, the sequencer sequentially reads out the performance data, which are stored in a floppy disk and the like in advance, by a performance tempo which corresponds to the synchronizing signal. The performance data which are read by the sequencer are supplied to an automatic performance apparatus. Thus, the automatic performance apparatus reproduces the performance data in synchronism with the video data.
In the synchronizer which is used for the synchronized playback operation described above, a pulse signal designating a tempo of the rhythm is stored in a storage medium in connection with a measure number (i.e., a serial number which is assigned to each of the measures written on a score) and a beat number (i.e., a serial number which is assigned to each of the beats written on a score), whereas the pulse signal (i.e., synchronizing signal) which designates the measure number and the beat number is reproduced when the performance data is played back. This technique enables it possible to play back a tune from an arbitrary part. This type of synchronizer is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No.1-15877 or Japanese Utility-Model Laid-Open Publication No.60-19096, for example.
In the above-mentioned technology, the video data and the performance data are stored independently such that the video data are recorded on a video tape, while the performance data are stored in a floppy disk. Therefore, if an amount of the data to be stored is increased, it becomes difficult to perform a data management.
In addition, since the different media are required for the video data and the performance data, a configuration of the system as a whole becomes complicated. This causes a trouble for the users when operating the system.
Further, when stopping a playback operation for the recording medium or when fast feeding or rewinding the recording medium, a correspondence between the video data and performance data may not be sometimes maintained. In such case, a search time may be required in order to re-establish a correspondence between the video data and performance data.